Known for its fish and chips, Go Fish looks like a simple seaside shack. But it is worlds away from the great British chippy. For a start, my order is for a seared tuna and scallop sandwich, with avocado, roasted red peppers, organic greens and ponzu glaze. And instead of looking at the English Channel, I am sunning myself on Fisherman’s Wharf in Vancouver, on the west coast of Canada.

When prizes are handed out for the “best place to live in the world”, Vancouver regularly gets one. What felt like a big town on my first visit a decade ago is now a grown-up city, with glass tower blocks, a buzzy cultural life and a cosmopolitan population that includes newcomers from Asia, as well as home-grown Canadians and first-generation Europeans. And nowhere is this ethnic mix more representative than on a plate in one of Vancouver’s atmospheric restaurants.

For a taste of what is on offer, start at Granville Island, close to downtown. More of a peninsula than an island, this former industrial area is now an eclectic mix’n’match of street buskers and craft studios, theatregoers and art students. But its throbbing heart is the Public Market, overflowing with seafood, meat, fruit and veg that is mainly from right here in British Columbia. From the Fraser Valley, little more than an hour away, come apples, peaches and sweetcorn with a just-picked fragrance and succulence.

“There’s a real passion for food here in Vancouver,” Eric Patemen tells me. Back in 2005, he started offering chef-led tours of the market under the label Edible Vancouver. That changed to Edible BC and now it is Edible Canada. “Things have moved on. Canadian food now has an identity. It’s far more than poutine, maple syrup and smoked salmon.” Seeing is believing: one bakery offers 30 varieties of bread; the Stock Market makes fresh soups; stalls sell local cheeses, handmade chocolates and even wild foraged mushrooms.

No one exemplifies the change better than chef David Hawksworth. After honing his skills at Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons in Oxfordshire, he returned home to Vancouver. In his downtown restaurant, called simply Hawksworth, he serves “contemporary Canadian cuisine”. That translates into dishes such as Japanese mustard-glazed pork belly with miso butter and beech mushrooms, and Pacific sablefish with soy-braised daikon, pickled shiitake and crispy yam.

If your mental palate cannot “taste” such dishes, have no fear: Hawksworth uses classical techniques and first-class ingredients, and stirs in a large dollop of flair. Open for less than two years, his venture has collected a toque-full of awards, including Canada’s Chef of the Year for 2012.

Did you know?

Vancouver's original name was Gastown, named after 'Gassy’ Jack Deighton, a Yorkshire seaman who opened the first saloon in 1867.

Hawksworth is a special occasion restaurant, at the top end of the spectrum. But, what I love about Vancouver is that the passion for quality and value continues all the way down to street vendors. Two years ago, 17 food trucks opened up their hatches to hungry locals. Now, there are 100 of these gourmet mobile kitchens across the city and everyone has a favourite, with dishes starting from just £3. One friend rates Tacofino for the Mexican heat of its fish tacos with chipotle mayo. Another enthuses about Yolks, where eggs Benedict are served from breakfast until lunchtime. For me, it is Re-up BBQ’s pulled pork sandwiches; slow-cooked to perfection, they are, as the sign warns, “addictive”.

But when I think of Vancouver, I think of seafood. Delicacies from the cold West Coast waters that rarely make it to British high streets range from sablefish (black cod) and spot prawns to Dungeness crab, Qualicum scallops and sea urchins – let alone five varieties of wild salmon. These, and more, are brought ashore only 10 miles away in Steveston. In Canada’s biggest fishing port, boats tie up and sell their catch direct to chefs and the public alike.

Regularly rated as Vancouver’s best seafood restaurant is Blue Water Café + Raw Bar. Sit at the bar and watch sushi chefs create mini works of art; choose from more than 20 varieties of oyster, a dozen of which have been raised in BC waters. The wow factor is provided by the two-tier Seafood Tower, an extravaganza that makes the usual plat de fruits de mer look like a snack. It could serve four easily, but my friend and I are greedy; we slowly work our way through the oysters, clams and mussels, scallop ceviche and seared tuna. The pièce de résistance is jellyfish – juicy, crunchy, translucent ribbons that are piqued by spring onions and Japanese chili.

In Vancouver, restaurant-goers are not just markedly sophisticated in their tastes; they also want to know how food is sourced. Is it organic? Fair Trade? Sustainable? But there is nothing precious about this; Vancouverites are down-to-earth and ready for a good time.

Informal watering holes abound, such as Cardero’s down at the Coal Harbour marina. I join the lunchtime bustle and order a BC salmon burger, with a glass of Blasted Church sauvignon blanc from the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia’s own wine area, just a five-hour drive to the east. Through the windows, I look out to the mountains; the sun is shining and a floatplane lands on the water. It’s all part of the Vancouver foodie experience.

How to book

Frontier Canada (020 8776 8709; frontier-canada.co.uk) offers a four-night City Break Explorer package to Vancouver and Victoria from £414 per person, based on two sharing. The price includes accommodation, tours, a ferry ride to Vancouver Island, plus a scenic floatplane flight back from Victoria to Vancouver.

Getting around

Very much a walking city, Vancouver also has TransLink (translink.ca), an efficient and inexpensive public transport network of buses and light rail services.

The best hotels

British Columbia Bed & Breakfast Innkeepers Guild £-££ Twenty-three quality b & bs in Vancouver that have all been inspected and rated (bcsbestbnbs.com; doubles from £77, including breakfast).

Go Fish £ Two steps from the boats at Fisherman’s Wharf, this scores for freshness and bargain prices: cod, chips and sesame coleslaw for under a fiver (1505 West 1st Avenue; 604 730 5040; bin941.com).

Shiro £ At £10-£15 for a meal, this small unprepossessing sushi restaurant is worth the 20-minute trip from downtown (3096 Cambie Street; 604 874 0027).

Revolver £ Vancouverites take their coffee very seriously. Order a “flight” of three coffees to compare and contrast beans from a single country (325 Cambie Street; 604 558 4444).

Raincity Grill ££ Go for the informality, inventive cooking and views over English Bay. The five-course “100 Mile” tasting menu (£45) is the one to try (1193 Denman Street; 604 685 7337; raincitygrill.com).

Cardero’s ££ Bustling and very popular, with an open kitchen. Main dishes are around £14 (1583Coal Harbour Quay; 604 669 7666; vancouverdine.com).

Hawksworth £££ Go for the six-dish tasting menu (£53), or slip into the cocktail bar for a drink and a gourmet bite of spicy yellowfin tuna on crunchy rice (located in the Rosewood Hotel Georgia, 801 West Georgia Street; 604 6737000; hawksworthrestaurant.com).

What to do

Chat to fishermen selling their catch on the waterfront at Steveston; lunch on top-class fish and chips at Pajo’s on the wharf. Canada Line to Richmond, then bus 401 or 402 (604 272 1588; pajos.com).

Event

During next year’s Dine Out Vancouver Festival (Jan 17-Feb 2), some 200 restaurants offer three-course prix-fixe dinners (this year they were priced from £11.50), as well as wine and beer pairings, street food markets; (dineoutvancouver.com).

What to avoid

Taking a taxi into town from Vancouver International Airport. On the SkyTrain rapid transit system, downtown is only 25 minutes away. Save money by buying a book of 10 (two-zone) FareSaver TransLink tickets (£20).

Paying more than you need to. The city’s Visitor Centre (200 Burrard Street) offers discounts on attraction tickets and tours.

Getting wet. Not for nothing is Vancouver nicknamed “Rain City”; so carry a brolly.

Dressing up. Smart/casual is the norm in this laid-back city.

Embarrassment in bars. The legal drinking age is 19.

More information

Published in 2007, The 100-Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating triggered a North American restaurant revolution. Authors Alisa Smith and J B MacKinnon spent a year eating only produce grown within 100 miles of their Vancouver home.